


healing words

by quantum27



Series: flynn has friends (or self indulgent non-legacy au with original encom crew) [3]
Category: Tron (Movies), Tron - All Media Types
Genre: Conversations, Everyone has identity disks because i say so. yes yori has a disk, Friendship, Gen, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:09:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25907116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quantum27/pseuds/quantum27
Summary: Ram and Yori have a conversation. Ram is a bit awkward, Yori is an enigma.
Relationships: Ram & Yori (Tron), Tron/Yori (Tron)
Series: flynn has friends (or self indulgent non-legacy au with original encom crew) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1866916
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	healing words

There was always something different about drinking energy from a glass instead of from a natural source. Something less intoxicating about it and less...exciting. And yet, sitting here on a barstool in HQ, Ram found that just because it was different didn’t mean it was bad. He swirled his glass, idly watching the bright blue liquid spin. 

There was something to be said about being brought back from the dead. It wasn’t necessarily easy. Though, Ram couldn’t exactly complain. After all, the fact he was alive at all was a thought a glitched program would have. Yet, here he was. If he was being completely honest though, he only had started to _feel_ alive and well in the past...three-ish microcycles. He’d been in and out of it for the rest of the time, a slow recovery at best. Groggy, and tired but alive. 

( _“I’m sorry, I should have accounted for something like this,” Flynn had said on one of the days- Ram couldn’t remember which. He had been leaning on Flynn’s shoulder; Tron and Flynn taking turns to just simply be there._

_“Hey. I’m alive and that’s all that matters.” He’d mumbled back into his shoulder._ ) 

Now that his power-cycles were getting themselves in working order, he had been up and about a bit more. It was a bit of a process trying to get his body to work with him instead of against him; at least now when he walked it no longer felt like he had weights attached to his legs.

He took a sip from his glass, and then pulled up his left leg onto the stool. He’d spent so long in those cramped cells, even now it felt odd to stretch out his limbs. 

Ram startled for a nanosecond as the entrance door slid open. 

The program in question coming in was Yori. Ram blinked and then raised up a hand in a half-wave of a greeting. She smiled in turn, and walked over to him, on the other side of the bar. 

Ram hadn’t exactly gotten a chance to interact with Yori that much in this whole thing. The memory of even seeing her for the first time was blurry. In fact, this was probably the most lucid interaction that he’d had with her so far, and they hadn’t even said anything to each other yet. 

Yori had put her pad on the countertop, lines of text and code were moving at a dizzying speed on it, and yet her hands somehow managed to keep up with it. He had a feeling that she was waiting for him to start a conversation if he wanted to.

Clearing his throat, Ram asked, “Did Flynn make it back to, uh, the User world, ok?” 

She paused in her work, looking up at him. There was a certain analyzing glint in her eyes. “Flynn made it back just fine. My User confirmed it.” 

“That’s- That’s good. I’m assuming this is a normal recurrence then? Him coming back to the system at least?” 

Yori nodded, “He’s very...invested. To say the least.” She clicked on her pad, dispersing the text off the screen. She pushed the pad away and then leaned on her arms on the countertop. 

“You really should get him one of those pads. I know he has terminals everywhere, but I think him being mobile would be. Good.” Ram found himself saying not quite knowing why. 

Yori blinked in surprise, looking from Ram and then back to her pad, “You’re absolutely right. Getting him one that he could just rez on the go- It’d probably make some of the MCP cleanup easier.” 

Ram tapped the side of his glass with two fingers, a scowl momentarily taking over his face. He kicked the bar with his free-hanging leg in his spout of annoyance and frustration. 

Yori sighed, “I know. It’s how we all feel about it.” 

He dismissed the topic with a small shake of the head, “Either way...the fact that Flynn is a _User_ …?” 

Yori laughed lightly, “He’s not exactly what I would’ve pictured a User to be; that’s for sure. I never thought a User could be so…” She paused, struggling to find a word to describe him. 

“‘Flynn-ish’?” Ram said with a bit of a grin. Yori smiled back and then paused, something clearly coming to her mind. 

“When Flynn comes back next time we really should sit down and explain everything to you in detail that’s happened since you…” She broke off, uncomfortable, tapping her fingers on the countertop. 

“Died? It’s okay now. I’m not gonna get hurt by you saying so.” He took another sip from his glass. In truth he didn’t really know what to feel about his death. To him it barely seemed liked he’d died at all aside from the way Flynn and Tron acted. Sure, there were his altered circuits but really nothing else. Well...so far. Just like he’d gone into sleep-mode and then woken up. 

Yori was silent; thoughtful. She seemed to be studying him, and he swung his leg to disperse his discomfort. 

“I’m sorry it’s just-” She waved both her hands in exasperation, “-Nevermind… I guess of all the things to learn; the fact that Flynn told you he was a User before you died is something to think about with him.” 

Ram frowned, “Did he tell you that he told me?” He asked rather sharply. He blinked in surprise at the tone of his own voice, not expecting it to be so harsh. 

“No- I just assumed so- Flynn hadn’t actually said a lot about your death before he brought you back...at least not to me. But Tron told me about you being brought back and well, that was one of the first things you said.” 

Ram exhaled through his nose, “I figured out he was a User before I de-rezzed.” 

“You did?” Yori asked in surprise, but with clear admiration in her voice. 

“Well, I figured it out before then, all the things that Flynn said were so reminiscent of other User phrases I’d heard before, even if I’d never heard them and the way he was clueless about everything, it kinda just clicked...I just wasn’t listening to myself,” He chuckled awkwardly, “It was one of those thoughts that makes you really wonder if you’re just glitched- Absolutely crazy. So I pushed it away. And yet...” 

He closed his eyes. He could easily picture the inside of the Recognizer, it was burned into his memories. How the circuits of the Reco had lit up as his slowly faded. 

“When he stole the Reco- I knew! And I asked him and he-” Ram frowned, “He just nodded. I don’t think- he couldn’t say anything- He just couldn’t.”

“I’m sorry.” Yori said again, and then slowly reached out her hand to hold Ram’s. He let her fingers slide into his, and she squeezed them. She sent a small wave of energy; feelings of _safety, comfort_ . He smiled, then sent back a quick silent _thank you_ back. 

“Tron told me a lot about you back in the Game Grid.” 

Yori raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eyes, “Oh really? I guess I should be flattered.”

“You should be- I’ve never seen a program more in love. Though...he didn’t really mention your name- For your safety. Once or twice he started to say it, but then cut himself off.” 

She shook her head in amusement, “Believe it or not, I’ve also heard a lot about you, though probably not as much, it was hard for them to talk about you.” 

“All good things, I hope.” Ram said with a raise of an eyebrow. 

“Of course,” She then glanced away from him, something seeming to occur to her, “Can I show you something, actually?” 

“Sure.” 

She unclasped their hands, and then reached towards her back and grabbed her Identity Disk. Ram couldn’t help but gape in shock as she held it in front of her, a hand already out to bring up information. He grabbed her wrist automatically. She looked up and gazed back at him, not seeming deterred. 

“Are you…? Are you going to show me a memory?” He guessed, voice quiet. She nodded, determined. 

“You barely even know me- showing me something straight from your disk-?” He glanced back at it, no holographic images had been activated yet, but it’s rings were glowing strongly. 

“I trust you.” Yori stated calmly. 

“But I-” 

She eased her hand out of his grasp and he just let it, not looking away from her eyes. Yori’s stare was intense, not looking away from him for even a second. 

“I trust you.” She repeated, voice firm and intense. Ram inhaled a quick breath.

“Users help me- Alright. Ok. I understand.” He replied finally, not really understanding the program in front of him. 

She focused on her disk bringing up its information. A floating version of Yori’s head appeared, information floating with it. Her fingers worked deftly, clearly practiced, and knowing what they were looking for. Ram couldn’t help but watch in fascination. While he was excellent at doing tricks with his disk, he was rather inexperienced with navigating its information. He’d rather just do it all internally anyway. It was clear Yori was an expert at it, however. He wondered if that had to do with being a simulation manager-oriented program or if it had something to do with the MCP’s ruling. 

She brought up a small holographic screen. And she began to let the memory play.

* * *

_Yori kept her attention as focused as she could on the Solar Sailor’s controls. She grimaced as yet_ **_another_ ** _Grid Bug crawled onto the console, and she squashed it with her left hand curled tightly into a fist. All they had to do was get through this, and eventually, they’d get to somewhere without any of the bugs. Hopefully._

_She glanced over to the two other conscripts on the ship- (or one conscript and a User?) as they were knocking Bugs off with their disks._

_“I’d take Sark’s minions over these Grid Bugs anyday.” Tron growled as he stomped his foot on one._

_Flynn let out a heavy pant as he turned to face Tron, “You can say that again.”_

_They both looked around, watching for anymore, but not seeing anymore, for now, they both let themselves catch their breath. Flynn leaned against the railing, spinning his disk in his hands. Tron docked his disk._

_“I think we’ve gotten past any place they can get us...Yori?” Tron turned to her, a small smile on his face._

_She smiled back, but couldn’t help but be worried about the exhaustion drawing lines on his face, “For now at least.”_

_Flynn hummed an acknowledgment in response, flipping his disk over in his hands. He seemed to be examining it for any nicks or scratches, something that was such an ordinary program thing to do…_

_“Ram and I discussed him teaching me some of his tricks.” Flynn said in a quiet voice. Yori got the feeling that Flynn didn’t want her to hear. She kept her gaze level between the control console and the bridge of the ship, just enough to keep them in her peripheral vision._

_Tron let out a large sigh, letting the frustration locked in the tightness of his shoulders out. He folded his arms as he walked over to the User to lean on the railing with him._

_“Did he...did he say anything before he-” He bit his lip, a bitter smile crossing his face for a fleeting moment._

_Flynn glanced upwards towards the sky. He turned the disk over and over again in his hands._

_“He said. ‘Help Tron’. And then he was gone.”_

_Tron let out a slight disbelieving laugh._

_Flynn frowned, “Maybe I could’ve done something if only-”_

_“Don’t- Flynn, there’s nothing you could’ve done.” The security program turned to face him head-on._

_Flynn opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again, “He deserved better.”_

_“I know that.” Tron replied._

_They fell into silence after that, both leaning against the railing to rest. Yori turned to her monitoring of the ship. She wished there was some way she could console them. She got the feeling there wasn’t anything she could do._

* * *

“Why did you show me that?” Ram felt his vocal processors locking up. 

Yori cleared away her disk’s projections before securing it on her back. She didn’t reply, just pulled her pad back over in front of her, continuing whatever she had been working on before. Ram watched, stupefied. He wasn’t exactly sure what just happened. There was one thing that was clear to him in his haze, and that was he could see exactly why Tron was in love with her. 

“Have you given any thought about what you’re going to do now?” The actuary program couldn’t help but shake his head at the abrupt change in conversation. 

Still despite that, he replied, “I’ve been told that I have as much time as I need to decide what I want to do.” 

Deciding what he wanted to do. It was such a foreign thing as a program. To go beyond his base programming? Well, at least he’d already done it before. And he had to admit, going back to just being an actuary for an insurance company? Despite how much he missed it, he had changed. He wasn’t sure he would be able to do it anymore. 

“I’m sure Tron would love someone to tag along on his patrols with him at the very least.” Yori suggested.

“Mmmm, I might just get in the way.” 

“Nonsense.” She replied, “Tron can try and act like a lone wolf all he wants but in the end...he relies on others.”

Ram nodded, bringing his drink to his lips. He was about to continue the conversation when the door once again opened. And there was the said program they’d just been discussing, Tron. The security program was twirling a light cycle baton in one hand. He stopped abruptly when he saw them, and then smiled wide.

“Yori, Ram!” He walked over to them, to Yori’s side of the bar. He greeted her, taking her by the hand, a small transference of energy between them, each of their circuits lighting up. 

“Aw, aren’t you adorable.” Ram chimed in as they finished. 

Tron rolled his eyes, “How are you two?” 

Yori responded by bringing up an image on her pad, of a solar sailor, “My team and I have just made some improvements to the Solar Sailor Sims, that should make them 25% more durable, and a 12% increase in speed.” 

“That’s great.” He ran his fingers over Yori’s knuckles. He then looked to Ram for his answer.

“I...I’ve just had a very...peaceful day.” 

Tron frowned at his response, then shook his head, dismissing whatever thought he had about his response. “Alright. Yori, have you told Ram at all about the KFFKSS?” 

“The what-now?” Ram sat up in his seat, letting his left leg fall. There was something...intriguing about the acronym. 

“The ‘Keep Flynn From Keeping Secrets Squad’.” Yori said with a hint of humor in her voice and a shake of the head. 

“Catchy.” 

“Extremely.” Tron replied, “Let’s get you in on the action, shall we?”

**Author's Note:**

> i'm taking some concepts about identity disks from legacy/uprising and using them in the encom system because...? why not?  
> it's also more of a...taboo thing i'd imagine to share memories with programs you don't know well from your disk. (i'd like to imagine in the canon timeline it gets more loose with clu's occupation.) 
> 
> yori's characterization is difficult because i think of all the characters in the original movie her's is the least...grounded/inconsistent i guess? it's probably because she falls to the trope of 'girl is there just for boy to kiss haha' (which i'm going to uhhh... fix, so to speak in this au...;) ) so she's kinda difficult to write. which is just weird because lora as a character feels a lot more solid???? idk. 
> 
> i'm gonna be honest i'm not exactly happy with this one, but that's ok. gonna get to more fun stuff soon, :D


End file.
